


Caught in the Crossfire

by Musical_in_Theory



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Beta Read, Dadza, Dave | Technoblade and Wilbur Soot and TommyInnit are Siblings, Everyone Needs A Hug, Except Dream, Insane Wilbur Soot, Kinda, L’Manburg, Pogtopia, Sky Gods - Freeform, Twins Wilbur Soot & Technoblade, Villain Clay | Dream (Video Blogging RPF), Villain Wilbur Soot, Wilbur Soot-centric, it'll make sense later, one beta- we die like technoblade ;), probably, sleepy bois inc - Freeform, tagging is hard, techno can pry the sbi family dynamic from my cold dead hands
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-24
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:02:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,049
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27691816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Musical_in_Theory/pseuds/Musical_in_Theory
Summary: Wilbur Soot hasn't been coping well with his exile from his creation. He's spiraling and he knows it. So when his old enemy finds him in the forest and offers him a deal, will he cling to the last dredges of his morality, or will he welcome in this necessary evil? God help whoever's caught in the crossfire.
Relationships: Dave | Technoblade & Wilbur Soot & TommyInnit & Phil Watson, No Romantic Relationships - Relationship
Comments: 23
Kudos: 111





	1. Dealing with the Devil

Wilbur took a deep breath as he stepped out into the crisp night air. It had been a few days since he had last come out of the ravine Tommy dubbed ‘Pogtopia’. The cramped space between the walls and the stale, dim lighting were already starting to take their toll on him. He felt it in every time the arrow wound on his shoulder ached. He felt it in seeing the emotion slowly fade away from Tommy’s expression. 

He slid his favored beanie off his head and carded his hands through his, frankly, tangled and grimey hair. Even during the war for L’manburg, Wilbur prided himself on keeping up appearances, looking like the leader his men needed him to be. But now as he gazed up at the stars he hadn’t seen in a week, appearances didn’t seem to matter near as much. 

Wilbur laughed to himself bitterly. Because, well, that wasn’t quite true, was it? No, appearances mattered even more now just in a new way. He could feel himself wearing a mask every day, and he could feel it slipping now. He wore the mask of the General, the President, the guy who always had an answer or a plan. He wore it for Tommy and Tubbo. They needed to know that he was still in control of the situation. Or at least, they needed to  _ think  _ that he did. 

In truth, Wilbur hadn’t had control of anything since that damned election started. Every step of the way, his oh-so-brilliant plans slipped from his fingers like sand, and he watched his sandcastle kingdom crumble in front of his eyes. His plan to have a single party election? Dashed away by Quackity and George. His plan to have his old friend JSchlatt come to his aid? Went up in hellfire. His plan to just rest for one fucking moment in the country that he poured his everything into? 

Tears pricked at the corners of his eyes. Gods, he was tired. So tired. But he  _ had  _ to keep going. He wouldn’t allow himself to give up. He was the man that won against Dream, a metaphorical god amongst men. Losing to one of his oldest friends… it won’t happen. The only question left was how far was he willing to go. 

Wilbur sighed and thought back to the boy who was currently sleeping soundly in the ravine beneath his feet. He wanted to use the same tactics he used to end the first war, but those tactics had nearly cost him his little brother. Wilbur shuddered as the image of Tommy close to bleeding out in his arms crossed his mind. No, Tommy wouldn’t be the one to sacrifice anything this time around.

He needed a plan. As much as he would have loved to put off making one and just adjust to the new situation, he knew that Tommy would ask about it sooner rather than later. Wilbur couldn’t afford to not give an answer when he did. That’s why he’d taken the risk to come out of the ravine in the first place. He thought maybe the change in scenery would help him think. In Pogtopia, it almost felt like there was a fog surrounding his head and clouding his mind.

He was wrong, of course. “Although it’s not like that’s anything new,” he thought sarcastically to himself. The breeze reminded him of the chill that was ever present underneath the ground. The moon provided about as much light as the lanterns did. The worst part of it all is that the steady drips of stalactites and the creaking of their wooden paths were merely replaced with the chatter of crickets and the hiss of the occasional creeper. 

Wilbur hated the sounds of creepers. The hissing was a precursor to the dreaded crescendo of an explosion waiting to happen. It was an omen of needless destruction coming soon. It all rattled in his head, ravaging any thoughts that fought to survive in its torrent. He was a man of melodies, not senseless noise.

“Well, look what we have here. A bit of a bad time to start taking night walks, don’t you think Soot?” A hooded figure jumped down suddenly from his hiding spot amongst the tree branches. His posture radiated an arrogance that could only be attributed to one man.

“Dream.” Wilbur’s eyes narrowed at the masked man. He took a few steps back and felt the pommel of his sword dig into his palm. He silently cursed himself for not staying vigilant. Just because Schlatt’s men had given up on their search didn’t mean that he was safe. 

Dream could easily see the fear and tension present on the former general’s face. He chuckled a bit, but most of it was muffled by his mask. “The one and only.” He stalked over to Wilbur and began circling him as a predator would his prey. Dream didn’t even have a weapon on him, and yet they both knew who had control here. Wilbur couldn’t help but think that this must be how the Dream team felt during Manhunts. 

Nevertheless, he tried to stand his ground. “What do you want? I highly doubt the mighty Dream is prone to midnight walks alone outside of your own territory.” He put as much venom into his voice as he could muster. Fearful or not, Wilbur couldn’t forget how he put an arrow in his baby brother.

“What do I want? Oh come on, Wilbur. Don’t be so predictable. But I guess I’ll humor you a little.” Dream began walking away from Wilbur, then stopped and turned back. “Well? Are you coming or not?” 

Wilbur knew that nothing good could come from indulging in whatever conversation Dream wanted to have. Wilbur may have been the better wordsmith, but Dream held the authority and could manipulate their discussions in whatever way he wanted. He  _ knew _ this, but Wilbur realized that for the first time in at least a week, the noise and the fog had disappeared. 

Before he knew it, Wilbur was walking alongside his old enemy underneath the trees. They remained in a hesitant silence for a bit, or at least Wilbur did. Dream seemed to be perfectly comfortable leading them to some unknown destination. Dream side-eyed his new companion. “You’ve been gone for too long, President Soot-”

Wilbur cut him off quickly, “Not President anymore, I’m afraid.” He schooled his expression in a vain attempt to cover up how much it stung to hear that title again.

Dream laughed. “You’ve really given up that easily?” Wilbur opened his mouth to refute, but Dream continued, “Doesn’t matter. I’m here to change that. Like I said, you’ve been gone for too long. The Wilbur Soot I fought against didn’t just lie down and accept his fate when things got tough.”

Wilbur glared at him. “Is that what you think I’m doing?” 

“I think that you’re lost. You’re lost in your own head, confused and wandering around until the right idea comes to you, instead of going out and finding it. When I said that you’ve been gone for too long, I didn’t mean that you’ve been away from L’manburg. I mean that the you that never stopped coming up with ways to be a legitimate threat to your enemies has been gone. You let yourself get complacent in your position. Now that it’s gone, you’re floundering.”

Wilbur shook his head. He hated to admit it, but Dream actually had a point. In their war against each other, he had plans, backup plans, and adapted to every situation that was thrown his way. Getting thrown out of his country should have been child’s play in comparison to having the ground beneath his feet blown to smithereens. Yet here he was, struggling to come up with anything.

Something was still stuck in the back of his mind, however. Wilbur walked a bit faster and stood in front of Dream, effectively stopping them both. “Why should I even trust you? Only a month ago, you wanted L’manburg dead and gone. Now you want to convince me to take it back. Sorry if I’m not buying this whole ‘altruistic’ act, you’re putting on.” Wilbur spat.

Dream laughed again. “I never said there weren’t strings attached. Soot, you and I have a common goal now. You want Schlatt out, and so do I. I signed a treaty with you, because I trusted you to uphold it. And I know you trusted me to do the same. We are men of honor, in that way. Schlatt is way different. Destroying L’manburg was out of the question the minute the war was over. Consider this to be damage control.”

The masked man casually walked around Wilbur and continued on their predetermined path. Annoyance shot through Wilbur as he stood watching Dream’s retreating silhouette. When did it get so bright? He looked back towards the darker part of the forest, the part closer to Pogtopia, before catching back up to Dream. 

Wilbur had to squint a bit to see Dream next to him. He didn’t think he’d been walking for too long, but it must have been morning with how light it was becoming as well as the rising temperature. Dream seemed unaffected, but it was always hard to tell with the mask and the hoodie. 

Dream turned a bit to face Wilbur. “I’ll say it again, Soot. You’ve been gone for too long, and Schlatt’s already ten steps ahead of you,” he said as he stepped out of the woods. The light nearly blinded Wilbur as he looked out at the scene beyond the cliff he stood on. L’manburg was on fire. The flag was burning into ash with stray flames finding their way to the wall. The wall itself was haphazardly torn down, as was his beloved camarvan. Everything he fought for, everything that he used to make a  _ home _ was being destroyed before his very eyes. 

Amidst it all, Wilbur could see three people standing near the flag’s base. One had a torch. Time felt like it stopped all around him as he saw that it was Fundy, Niki, and Eret. His son, his best friend, and the traitor that started it all. 

Wilbur fell to his knees as the smoke and dust swirled around him, intermingling with the fog that had enveloped his head since he first stepped foot into that godforsaken ravine. His once home burned in front of him, and yet no warmth could breach the ice that invaded the ex-President’s veins. 

He flinched as a hand on his shoulder brought him out of his stupor. Wilbur looked up at Dream. Although he couldn’t see his face behind the mask, he could feel his eyes trained on him. “All that work, all that sacrifice, and look where it got you. Powerless and watching from an outsider’s perspective.” Dream took back his hand and leaned against a nearby tree. “I never took you for someone who just waited in the wings, letting things happen all around you. Are you really the same guy I fought and lost against?” 

Wilbur tore his eyes away from the destruction of his nation and let them fall upon the masked man. Something dark and ugly settled into his chest as the weight of Dream’s words hit him. Was he the same person? Did he even want to be? The Wilbur that won his nation was the same man that lost it so easily in his arrogance. 

Dream must have sensed his confusion because he continued on, “You can be better than that. You can become what I should’ve been in order to take back what is rightfully yours. I’ll help you learn from my mistakes, but in exchange you’ll need to follow my orders to the letter.” He pushed off the tree and held out his hand toward the fallen leader. “Do we have a deal?”

Wilbur’s mind screamed at him to not take the opportunity in front of him. It shouted at him accusations of Dream’s imminent betrayal. How many times had people turned his backs on him already? His own  _ son _ had even taken the trust Wilbur placed in him and tore it to pieces right in front of him. 

But that same line of thought kept him desperate for any sort of help, any sort of assistance that would be offered. Even if the one offering was an old enemy. Wilbur’s eyes hardened in his resolve, and he lifted his hand to meet Dream’s. He helped Wilbur to his feet and promptly shook his hand. The voices fell silent, and a bitter smile found its way onto Dream’s face. “Alright then, shall we get started,  _ President _ Soot?”

“With pleasure.”


	2. Brothers in Arms

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy's been having a rough time adjusting to life in Pogtopia. It's a good thing big brother Wilby will always be right by his side.... right?

“One, Two, Three, Four.” Tommy took a deep breath. “Five, Six, Seven, Eight.” His fingers found their position on the bow. “Nine, Ten paces. Fire!” Tommy turned around quickly. In one fluid motion he drew back the string and aimed at his foe, expecting to see Dream doing the same. His hands slipped from their intended positions as he looked upon all the citizens of L’manburg glaring back at him. They all had their weapons drawn. Faces that he once viewed as friendly turned vindictive and threatening.

Above him on the podium loomed Schlatt with Quackity and George at his side. Tommy scanned the crowd for Tubbo, but found him on the podium as well, hidden in the shadows. The iciness of panic shot through Tommy like lightning. He fumbled for the bow he had not a single second ago, but it had disappeared altogether. 

In his moment of hesitation, his opponents took their opportunity to strike. Arrows rained down on him, and he was forced to run. His feet scrambled for purchase on the stone aisle. Tommy risked one more look back at the people he used to call home, and for a split second they changed to the faces of Dream’s army. For a split second, he was surrounded by his fellow soldiers, all running for the hills in retreat. Then the scene warped back. He felt an arrow pierce through his chest in the very same spot Dream-

Tommy woke up in a cold sweat. He could feel the telltale chill of the tear tracks on his cheeks. Tommy wished he could say they were an uncommon occurrence, but their presence persisted alongside the nightmares. Ever since the first war, he’d had similar nightmares, but this one was new. 

The bed creaked slightly as he pushed himself off of it and onto his feet. It wouldn’t help anything to dwell on what he saw. Honestly, he was pretty grateful to even get sleep. More often than not, he’d wake up to the sound of Wilbur pacing through the ravine. Tommy had already seen how the circles beneath his eyes grew darker. Sleep seemed to be a rarity for his brother, even more so than when they were growing up. 

However, he didn’t hear Wil’s footsteps now. There was only the creaking of the wood, the hiss of the flames within the lanterns, and the constant drip of water that seemingly came out of nowhere. At first it had all put Tommy on edge, but now they were almost comforting. They became a reminder that the world still spun despite feeling like it had stopped for some time. 

Tommy crossed his room and popped his head into the main hallway of the ravine. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, he walked over to Wilbur’s room and knocked. He waited a minute before he called out in the loudest voice he could muster, “Hey, Wils? You sleepin’ or some shit?” He expected to hear the tired grumblings of his older brother mixed in with a few half-hearted death threats, but he was only greeted by silence. 

He threw open the door as loudly as possible. Even if Wilbur wasn’t actually in his room, he had to have at least heard that. At this point, Tommy would gladly take an angry lecture over the silence of the caverns. 

Tommy scanned the room. While he didn’t see the man he’d been hoping for, what he did find startled him. Growing up, Wilbur prided himself on the tidiness of his space. His bed was made every day, his desk actually looked like a desk instead of the hellscape that Tommy, Techno, and Philza’s were, and everything he did made it feel like he had his shit together. This was nothing like that, though.

The bed looked like a wild animal had gotten trapped beneath the blankets. The makeshift desk had papers scattered around it with barely legible handwriting found on all of it. The chests that sat at the back of the room were half open, and most of the glassware inside were cracked or shattered. It almost looked like Wilbur had been kidnapped, but Tommy immediately dismissed that idea from his head. Wilbur wouldn’t have let anything get close enough to this place to let that happen. 

“It’s fine. It’s fine. Everything’s fine. If something was wrong, er,  _ wrong-er _ , Wilbur would let me know.” Tommy reassured himself. He couldn’t remember how soon after he and Wilbur got to Pogtopia that he picked up the habit of talking to himself. It was just something to help fill the silence. Usually he’d have to yell and shout to be heard. It felt almost wrong to only have to whisper and hear it echoed back at him. 

The sound of footsteps came from above him, and Tommy raced out of the room. His hand twitched to his hip before he remembered that he hadn’t grabbed his sword from his room. He darted behind the wall of one of his “rooms-in-progress” and tried to keep his breathing quiet. It certainly didn’t help that flashes of his dream kept popping up in his head as he thought about who could have found him already.

It wasn’t until he was able to hear a familiar voice mumbling to himself that Tommy was able to calm down. It was just his older brother. He was safe. It was going to be okay. Those two sentences repeated over and over as he went out to greet Wilbur. They quieted down as he took in his appearance. 

Dark circles like bruises covered his eyes. His hair echoed the state of the bed he’d just seen. Wilbur’s hand was covering his mouth and yet it still looked like he was talking into it. For a split second it seemed as though even his eyes were a bit dulled until they flicked over to Tommy. 

Once the two made eye contact with each other, it felt as if a blanket had surrounded them. Wilbur’s face softened in brotherly adoration, and Tommy’s fears began to melt away. It was an unspoken promise that they’d made to each other long ago.  _ I’ll keep you safe. Just stick close. _

“Hey big man! Wake up early to get shit?” Tommy couldn’t lie that he still felt a flicker of concern that Wilbur wasn’t there when he woke up. More often than not, he would be able to go to Wilbur’s room whenever a nightmare popped up for comfort. The break in that routine shook him more than he’d ever admit. 

Wilbur seemed to light up at the question of where he’d been. “More like I was out late. Honestly, I hadn’t expected you to be awake yet. But I’ve got some good news for us.” He began walking over toward their makeshift kitchen area which was really just a corner with a chest of foodstuffs. He held his head high with all the confidence of the leader Tommy so often followed into battle. It was comforting to see how he was still able to do that after a week of so much uncertainty. 

Wilbur rifled through the few supplies the chest held as he explained, “While I was out last night, I ran into a potential ally, one who shares our views on Schlatt. They agreed to help our cause for now and have become a new source of supplies.” 

Tommy’s temper flared up at all the ambiguity. He hated being left in the dark, especially when it was supposed to be the two of them against the world. “Am I  _ allowed _ to know who?” he said with sarcasm dripping from his tongue. 

He thought that he could see Wilbur’s shoulders tense up for a moment before he answered, “...Unfortunately, one of their conditions was that they’d be helping from the shadows. They have far too much to lose if they’re caught endorsing a rebellion.”

Wilbur turned his head to look at Tommy out of the corner of his eye and smirked. “And you, my dear baby brother, have the biggest mouth I’ve ever encountered.” Tommy sputtered as he tried to find the words to protest. Wilbur laughed, “I genuinely don’t think you could keep a secret if your life depended on it.”

“Well that’s just not true! Don’t you remember how I kept Phil’s presents a secret? You and Techno had zero faith in me, but I was awesome at keeping it- keeping it ‘under wraps’.” Tommy snickered at his own pun as Wilbur rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, actually. I do remember that. I also remember how right before he opened it you screamed from across the room, and I quote, ‘it’s not a watch!’” Wilbur pulled out an apple from the chest and turned around to face his little brother. Tommy pretended not to notice how his shoulders seemed to sag in relief. 

“Yeah! And it was a bloody brilliant deflection. I am the best liar! Phil even told me that I was great at it and that he was surpr- wait  _ hold on-” _ Tommy stopped himself as he watched Wilbur hide another laugh behind his hand, “Don’t fuckin’ tell me that he lied to  _ me! _ No, no, no. Dad doesn’t lie to me. I would know. I am also the best lie detector!” 

Wilbur rolled his eyes and walked up to loop an arm around Tommy’s shoulders. “Sure you are, Big T. Now how about you and I keep working on that other room project since you seem to have so much energy to burn.” 

And if Tommy noticed how Wilbur left part-way through without a word and a glint in his eye, he didn’t mention it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I wasn’t expecting to meet again so soon. Don’t tell me you have a plan laid out already.” Wilbur crossed his arms as he stared blankly at the masked man before him.

“What did you tell Tommy? I can’t imagine he took kindly to knowing he’d have to start working with me.” Although the mask theoretically gave nothing away, Wilbur could tell a smug grin laid behind it.

Wilbur blew his bangs out of his eyes and huffed, “Nothing. I decided that he shouldn’t have to know you’re involved. I want him  _ safe _ , Dream. That means physically, emotionally, and mentally. You’ve taken enough from him already. I’m not letting you take any more of his pieace of mind.” He glared at Dream, but it didn’t seem like it was returned.

“Don’t worry so much. I’m not gonna lay a hand on your  _ precious little brother’s _ head, alright? I’ve got the discs and called it even. So long as we both keep up our ends of the deal, he doesn’t even need to be involved as far as I care.” Dream folded his arms behind his head.

“Good. Well, then if you’ve got nothing else of note, I need to get back to Tommy before he starts getting suspicious. Come back when there’s actually something of note to report. We’re  _ allies, _ Dream, not friends.” Wilbur turned sharply and walked back to the entrance of the ravine.

He didn’t register how the static began to build up in his mind or the whisper carried off in the wind, “ _ Wielding people is just as good as any arrow, isn’t it Wilbur? And we both know I don’t miss my shots. _ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!! I've been overwhelmed by the amount of support I've gotten so far for this fic. You guys nearly brought me to tears with some of your comments haha. I'd love to hear more feedback from you guys. It's honestly the highlight of my day when I see that someone has posted a new comment or left a kudos. Thank you again to my lovely internet sibling Glitchy for beta reading for me! Such a huge help. I have big plans for this fic. Especially next chapter. I think it's about time we bring in a little back-up don't you? After all, the revolution waits for no man.


	3. Did Someone Say Rebellion?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dream starts giving Wilbur advice on their next step in the rebellion against Schlatt, but Wilbur has doubts. All while a new challenger approaches.

Wilbur fidgeted with his beanie in his hands. His fingers trailed roughly over its fabric and caught on its worn through holes. The poor piece of clothing had seen better days, but barely anyone had ever seen the man without it. Even L’manburg’s revolutionary army could tell you he wore it underneath his tricorn hat.

Now it was being wrung through his hands in worry. Dream was supposed to meet with him hours ago, but the masked man was nowhere to be seen. He needed to get back to Tommy. They only really had each other, despite having the equivalent of a  _ god  _ on their side. Wilbur trusted Tommy with a lot, but Tommy had already shown that he couldn’t be trusted with his own safety. Ever since he lost his second life in the duel, Wilbur hadn’t been able to completely relax while his little brother was out of sight. 

Wilbur shivered and clutched at his coat. It was nearly nightfall, and Wilbur knew all too well how the cold could settle into his bones once the sun set. He made as if to turn back the way he came and start the walk back to Pogtopia when he was interrupted by a familiar voice.

“Leaving so soon?” Dream said with a teasing lilt to his voice. 

Anger blazed through his worry and frustration, or perhaps the rage was heightened by it. “Where the fuck have you been? I don’t know if you’re aware of this, but I don’t exactly have all the time in the world for you to decide I’m worth yours! So unless you’ve brought something that could make up for the  _ two fucking hours _ I just spent waiting on you, I’d suggest you go back to sitting on your goddamn high horse to keep looking down on us mere fucking mortals,  _ your Highness _ .” Wilbur’s shoulders heaved as he tried to breathe through his outburst. 

He shook his head and put his beanie back on, steeling his expression to keep from giving away his own surprise. He worked so hard for so long to keep his emotions in check, only ever letting them out for his music. In conversations, he stayed professional, in control. He needed to be the level-headed one to his brothers’ chaos. He didn’t know what it was about Dream that allowed this control to slip away from him. It was like the green bastard could read him like a book. 

Wilbur looked back up at Dream expecting to see signs of aggression or retaliation, but instead his shoulders were shaking under the force of barely contained laughter. “Wow, it’s been a while since anyone’s had the gall to yell at me like that. If it were coming from someone who actually posed a threat, I might have even been scared. It’s kinda refreshing.” 

Wilbur resisted the urge to glare at him for the backhanded compliment. He kept his stare blank and his face neutral in a practiced fashion as he could hear the unsaid threat that loomed underneath the statement.  _ I could destroy you and you wouldn’t be able to do anything about it. _

Dream cleared his throat and continued, “I do have something that could be of some value. I have an idea about our next move. As I recall, one of my most devastating moves was recruiting a spy on the inside.” Dream walked over to Wilbur and circled behind him. He placed his hands on the ex-leader’s shoulders and whispered, “As luck would have it, Schlatt is keeping quite the promising candidate close to his side. His right hand man, I believe he called him?”

Wilbur wrenched himself from Dream’s grasp and put distance between the two of them. “Tubbo? I don’t know, Dream. Eret’s situation was different. His life was already on the line with the war. It wasn’t as if he was risking anything new in that scenario. Tubbo has so much more to lose if he’s caught as a spy…” Wilbur looked away towards the direction of Manburg. 

Dream put his hands up in a placating fashion and chuckled. “I get your point. I do, but he’s also your only option. Nikki is the only other one that’s shown even the slightest bit of sympathy towards your cause, but Schlatt obviously trusts her about as much as he can throw her. She’s been very… outspoken about her dislike of his administration. Tubbo can be persuaded out of his shaky allegiance to Schlatt. He’s Tommy’s best friend. You can use that.”

The thought of using Tommy and Tubbo’s friendship for his own gain sat like lead in his stomach. It was far too much to put on the kid’s shoulders. Wilbur sighed tiredly. The anger-fueled adrenaline had all but drained from his veins. “We made a deal, Dream. What you say goes. I don’t like this at all, but-” He was cut off by more laughter from the other.

“Soot, this isn’t- this isn’t an order. This is just a suggestion. Trust me, you’ll know when the time comes for me to give you an order. For now, I just want to advise you on how to get your little rebellion off the ground. You can say no, but I’d strongly advise you to reconsider.” Dream shook his head. “Just sleep on the idea. You can give me your answer the next time we meet. But you should probably head back. It’s gonna get cold soon, and we don’t have any burning flags around to warm us up.” With that, Dream turned on his heel and walked back into the forest the way he came. 

Wilbur watched his retreating back for a moment before doing the same. That was the thing about Dream he hated the most; He was always able to point out the difficult truths. Wilbur despised the idea of using a child as a spy, especially when it was Tubbo. He already felt enough guilt about having him and Tommy fight in a war that he should have been able to prevent. But Dream was right about needing someone on the inside. 

Wilbur shook his head and picked up his pace. He could think about that later. He needed to get back to Tommy quickly. The kid had been acting off for half a week. Anytime Wilbur would seek him out for something, he’d start fidgeting and avoiding his eyes. Tommy was nervous, and it set Wilbur on edge. Now wasn’t the time for Tommy to start keeping secrets from him. Not when it was practically just the two of them left. 

His shoulders sagged in relief as he finally saw the mound of dirt that signified Pogtopia. The dirt that disguised the opening was a bit shifted out of place, but Wilbur learned early on that it was just another way to tell that Tommy had gone out and come back. He didn’t have a reason to suspect anything until he hit the stairs down into the ravine. 

Two voices sounded from below. They were hushed which immediately set Wilbur on edge. His mind raced. He was terrified of the prospect that someone else had found their base and had already found Tommy. He could easily pick out his little brother’s voice despite his unusually quiet tone. Images flashed through his head of arrows raining down on his head, chasing him, piercing him,  _ killing him _ , as he fled from people he used to trust. Worry that one of them had finally found the duo had his mouth filling with bile. 

That’s when he heard the unmistakable baritone of the other’s voice. It froze Wilbur where he stood. It brought back far too many memories, almost all of which had been tainted by the bittersweet passage of time. He quickly shook himself out of his stupor and dashed down the rest of the stairs. 

His eyes immediately focused on the shock of bright pink hair standing in the middle of the walkway. He missed the look on Tommy’s face of both fear and hope. Instead, he could only watch as the man that had been speaking with the young exile turned around to face him for the first time in years.

_ Technoblade had joined the game.  _

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_ 4 days earlier _

Techno put the last of his netherite scraps into his chest and shut the lid with a sigh. His latest trip to the nether hadn’t been as productive as usual, but that couldn’t be helped. The mobs were starting to grow restless in this world, and a small part of Techno sympathized. This had been the longest he’d ever stayed in one place since he’d parted from his family. 

He cringed inwardly as he thought about the people he left behind. He never meant to be gone as long as he had been, but it seemed like the longer he was gone, the harder it was to return. More often than not, he’d just force himself to stop thinking about it or throw himself into another meaningless battle. 

The relentless buzz of his communicator drew him from his thoughts. His eyes widened in surprise. It was Tommy. Years ago Phil had helped code their communicators so that they could all message each other no matter if they were all on separate worlds. Not that any of them had particularly used this feature other than Phil making sure none of them were dead. 

_ TommyInnit: hey there bitch! wilbur needs you to come to the dream SMP land. we kinda bit off more than we can chew, and this guy schlatt went and fucked everything up. not that I don’t have everything handled and shit. being a Big Man and all. but maybe you could just stop bye and help out for a bit, yeah? _

Techno snorted. He knew immediately that this was Tommy’s way of trying to brush off the fact that he needed help. He looked over the message a few more times and tried to ignore the slight sting that accompanied it being Tommy and not Wilbur that reached out. It was clear that the two of them were together, but he’d only heard from one of them. 

He looked out the window. Night was beginning to fall, and Techno could see mobs already spawning. He sighed at the thought of going through the motions of getting rid of the ones that strayed just a little too close to his base. It all had become too monotonous lately. 

He eyed the communicator again and smirked. Perhaps it was time for a change of pace. From what he heard of Dream’s land, a fair amount of people lived there. Plenty of people to fight, especially if Tommy was there to rile them up. 

_ Technoblade: What’s in it for me? _

It was less than a second before Tommy responded. Techno laughed as he read over the message, although deep down it worried him how desperate it felt.

_ TommyInnit: WOMEN _

_ Technoblade: I guarantee you don’t know any _

_ TommyInnit: i’ll get wilbur to spar with you again _

Now,  _ that  _ sparked Techno’s interest. He was going to say yes anyway, but getting to fight with his twin was too good a chance to pass up. He wanted to see if Wilbur had improved any from the last time they’d seen each other. It was a question that popped up every so often when his brothers’ safety ever came across his mind.

_ Technoblade: You’ve got yourself a deal. I need to tie off a few loose ends here, but I’ll be there in a few days. Keep an eye out and stay safe, gremlin child. _

The buzz sounded again, but Techno didn’t look. He could live without the rant about being called a child. He left his communicator on the table while he left to start gathering up the necessities for world travel.

  
  
  


_ TommyInnit: please hurry…  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!! Sorry for the long wait. Finals really kicked my ass, and I had to spend a fair amount of time studying for those. Thanks again to my friend Glitchy for being a fantastic beta reader. I am so excited for the next chapter. Wilbur and Techno reunite, but it might not go how either of them expect it to.


	4. Together Again and Falling Apart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All three brothers meet once again, but this isn't exactly the reunion Tommy had been hoping for.

Wilbur stood frozen at the bottom of the steps as he stared at the newcomer. His eyes locked onto the mask shifted to the left of Techno’s face. It was an intricately carved boar’s skull complete with sharp tusks and menacing dark pits for eyes. It was truly fit for the man who’d earned the title ‘Blood God’. It fit the stranger in front of him that Wilbur used to call his twin.

He felt like he was caught in an unspoken competition. Whoever made the first move would lose. Looking at Technoblade, he could tell that they both were waiting for the other to speak so that they could gauge their reaction. 

Techno slowly turned the rest of the way around to completely face Wilbur and put a hand on his hip. He let out a quiet sigh and said with as much casualty as he could muster, “Hey there, Wilbur.” Techno’s monotone voice hadn’t changed at all since the last time they’d spoken. Wilbur could almost let himself melt into the comfort of its familiarity, if not for how they’d left things.

He quickly stuffed his beanie into one of his coat pockets and ran a hand through his hair in a vain attempt to look far more put together than he felt. He tried to persuade his muscles to relax as well. He could handle this… new development. 

“Technoblade,” Wilbur clipped. He squared his shoulders and folded his arms behind his back as he looked down at his brothers. “I wasn’t aware you were coming to visit.” He let an easy smile find its way onto his face, although it failed to reach his eyes. His eyes were like ice in their cold and clinical formality.

Techno choked out an awkward laugh, betraying his discomfort of the situation. “Yeah, well I-”

“It’s a shame you came all this way for nothing though.” Wilbur raised his voice to speak over Techno. He began making his way closer to the two on the other side of the hallway. When he was halfway to them, he continued, “As you can see, we’ve been doing perfectly fine without you here to watch over us.”

Techno fixed him with a skeptical look. Wilbur merely laughed at it. “Yes, yes, I know. Tommy and I have hit a bit of… an obstacle. But we’ve gotten through worse already, and we did it  _ without _ your help.” He waved his hands about in a way that commanded their attention. He held the stage, and he’d be damned if he let either of them forget that.

He clapped his hands together and switched his gaze over to Tommy. “In fact, I was just about to talk to you about a new plan in the works. I’ll need you to contact Tubbo soon. I need to speak with him privately outside of L’manburg.” Wilbur hadn’t thought he’d agree to Dream’s plan so soon or even at all, but he knew that if he didn’t prove that he had a plan, Techno would try to lead them instead. Wilbur couldn’t bear the thought of that.

It was then that Tommy finally spoke up, “Tubbo? But isn’t he supposed to be, ya know, hunting us down?” He could see through Tommy’s failed attempt to cover up the fear he felt but decided not to comment on it. Rather he’d do the thing big brothers were supposed to do and reassure him.

“It’s alright, Toms. If you meet with him alone at night, Schlatt won’t have to know Tubbo ever even saw you. He’s only trying to find us because it would look bad for him if he didn’t. You two are practically brothers. You know he’d never hurt you.” Wilbur couldn’t help the smirk that played on his lips as he saw the barely concealed flinch from Techno at the last two sentences.

Tommy muttered an “alright” but still looked uneasy. It was clear that he hadn’t been expecting this when he had called for Techno. He looked up at Techno and saw Techno looking back down at him with something resembling concern.

Techno turned back towards Wilbur again who had gone over to one of the chests. “Wilbur, I’m staying. I came all this way, and I plan on helpin’ the two of you out while I’m here.” 

Wilbur’s shoulders tensed up. He should’ve expected that Techno wouldn’t listen to him. “And who said you were allowed to do that? I’m fairly certain I’ve made it clear that we don’t want-”

“I called him here, Wil.” Tommy’s voice was steady. It held a defiant tone that dared anyone to start a fight with him. Wilbur sighed. He knew that when Tommy used that voice it meant he was dead set on something, and he’d be hard pressed to talk him out of it.

“Fine, then, Tommy. You’ll be in charge of him, though. You wanted his help, well now you’ve got it. But don’t be surprised if he gets bored halfway through and decides it isn’t worth the effort anymore.” Wilbur hissed. It was becoming more and more difficult to keep his anger in check as it froze his very veins.

He brushed past his twin, not caring how his shoulder rammed into the other’s. He stopped after a step and looked back over his shoulder. “Enjoy your stay, Technoblade. Oh, and take this. It gets rather cold down here.” He tossed his beanie lazily at him and narrowed his eyes. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a rebellion to win.”

Techno and Tommy could only watch as Wilbur stepped out of the light of the torches and into the shadows of the ravine.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Techno grasped at the fabric of the beanie in his hands. He remembered it. It was his gift to Wilbur on their first birthday spent with Phil. It was the first thing they owned that they didn’t have to steal. Wilbur was always cold, back then. Techno wondered if he still was.

Techno slipped the hat in between his hip and the belt that held his scabbard, making sure it was secure enough to not fall out unnoticed. He didn’t want to think about the implications of Wilbur being able to so carelessly give it away, especially when Techno had never known him to be careless with anything.

Instead he glanced over at Tommy who looked deep in thought. Techno hadn’t seen either of his brothers in years, but he knew that the kid was smart. He hid it behind bold moves and humor. Techno could practically see the gears turning in his head, calculating the risk of following Wil’s orders and seeing this Tubbo guy. 

He took a breath in to ask him about it, but Tommy suddenly turned to him first. A big grin of false bravado was splayed across his face. “Well, you heard the man! I’m in charge! You’re my bitch, bitch!” He darted down and poked Techno in the side. “Come on, then. Wil’s probably gone mining, so we can start on… on, uh. Tech, I’m gonna level with you, man. I don’t know what we’re supposed to be doing. I’ve just been mining out rooms and shit this whole time.”

Techno raised an eyebrow. “I thought you and Wil already fought in a rebellion before.”

“We did! And we won! All thanks to me of course, but well… Wilbur and Tubbo were the ones that handled the supplies and shit. I did the fighting.” Tommy puffed out his chest.

Techno huffed a bit and walked over to the few chests he saw over to the side. He rifled through them and was disappointed with how little they actually had. He glanced back at Tommy and saw the boy rocking back and forth on his feet, looking anywhere but at him. Techno called to him, “Fine. I guess I can get started on makin’ a farm. You guys are really low on food, and that’s gonna be important in the long run.”

He heard Tommy groan behind him in annoyance, “But Tech, that’s gonna be so fucking boring! Shouldn’t we be, I don’t know, going to the nether and getting gear?” Techno got up from his place at the chests and walked over to Tommy. He put a hand on top of the boy’s head and pushed down, ruffling his hair while he was at it. 

“Tommy, don’t you know I’ve won wars with only food before?” Techno laughed as the younger smacked at the hand on his head.

“You bullied a kid by spending months just farming potatoes. Not sure that counts, big man,” Tommy deadpanned.

“It 100% counts. It was a long and arduous war. There were many times where I didn’t think I’d make it out of the battle alive. But as you well know, Technoblade never dies!” Techno let go of Tommy’s head and beat a fist against his chest. Tommy got a kick out of his theatrics. Techno wrapped an arm around Tommy’s shoulders and led him to one of the hollowed out rooms he’d seen earlier. “C’mon. I’ll show you how to get an underground farm started.”

“Please tell me we aren’t gonna plant-”

“We’re farmin’ potatoes.”

Tommy groaned again, “Fine, but if Wil asks, I told you to do this. I’m in charge, you know.”

Techno laughed again and smiled somewhat fondly at his kid brother. “Yeah, whatever you gremlin.” He cast one last glance to where Wilbur had disappeared to before ducking inside the soon-to-be farm. It may not have been the reunion he’d been hoping for, but if he could keep Tommy laughing and in one piece, he had to be doing  _ something _ right.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As soon as he was sure he was out of sight, Wilbur leaned hard against the wall and clawed at his shirt. “Fuck,  _ fuck _ . Why now? Why did he have to show up  _ now _ of all times?” Wilbur clenched his fist against the wall. He was finally getting a plan together, and of course someone had to waltz right in and throw a wrench in it. 

Wilbur took a deep breath and slowly let both of his hands relax. Letting panic rule his mind would get him nowhere, and he couldn’t afford to stop moving forwards. Techno was here, and if he knew anything about his brother, he’d be stubborn about this and provide aid. That could be useful.

Techno was known for his ability to get the best gear and enchantments. Even if he wasn’t, having the Blood God on their side would do wonders as an intimidation tactic. Wilbur could work with this. But was the advantage worth the mental strain he’d have to endure seeing Techno’s face everyday?

“I gotta say I’m surprised. I didn’t think you’d have such an ace up your sleeve so early in the game.” A familiar voice echoed through darkness. Wilbur whipped his head up to find its source and gazed upon none other than Dream.

“How the hell did you get down here?” Wilbur hissed. His eyes darted back towards the hallway where he left his brothers. “I thought we agreed to keep our partnership a secret. Which part of  _ walking right in _ sounds secretive to you?”

Dream crossed his arms and fixed Wilbur with a hard stare. “It’s called a pickaxe, Soot. I can make my own entrance instead of going through yours. I’m not an idiot.” 

Wilbur ran a hand through his already tousled hair. “Right, right. Sorry. As you can see, I’m a bit on edge, and the last thing I need is more surprises.” He stood up straight and mentally dusted himself off. He raised an eyebrow at his ally, “What are you even doing here? I saw you not even an hour ago.”

“I heard you had a new player in the field. Wanted to come see for myself.” Dream picked at his nails. Wilbur nodded, but said nothing more. Dream picked up on the hesitation, though. “Here I was thinking that having someone strong on your side would be a good thing. Having doubts?”

“I’m just not sure that the pros of having him here outweigh the cons. He’s a talented fighter, sure, but he’s not exactly… reliable.” Bitterness invaded his tone as he thought back to broken promises and shattered bonds.

Before he could spiral too far, however, Dream’s voice cut through his cluttered consciousness, “That doesn’t have to be a problem. I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but war isn’t a place where loyalty is a priority. You use what you’ve got at your disposal and go from there. Right now, you’ve got Technoblade. So use that.”

Wilbur turned away from Dream. He was right. It hurt, but he was right. He didn’t have to trust Techno. He didn’t have to form any sort of attachment. Attachment was what hurt him during the first war. Attachment was what hurt him when his old friend stole his country away from him. Attachment was what hurt him when his son tore down the walls and burned the flag. It was time Wilbur finally learned from his mistakes. 

He turned his head back towards Dream. A confident smile placed itself on his face. He could work with this. “Alright, Dream. I believe I’m open to suggestions on how best to do that.” An agreement passed between the two of them. They were setting the board, gathering their chess pieces, and Wilbur didn’t plan on losing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I'm having a lot of fun writing this! Updates might be a bit slow for a bit because I'm starting to work on a new project involving an SBI pirate au. That'll be fun. Anyways, please consider leaving a comment or a kudos! Seeing what you guys think of a chapter is literally my favorite part of the day! Thanks again to my beta reader, Glitchy!


	5. Setting Up Dominoes (just to watch them fall)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy and Tubbo are finally reunited. That means everything is about to take a turn for the better, right?..... Right?  
> Meanwhile Techno and Wilbur finally have some time to talk alone, but neither are truly ready to listen.

Tommy walked through the trees in the forest surrounding Pogtopia. He made sure to keep an eye out for stray leaves or twigs like Wilbur had taught him. He used to sneak out pretty often to see Tubbo when they still lived with Phil, and Wilbur had given him tips on how to not get caught. Those lighthearted lessons were coming in handy more and more now. 

The sun filtered through the trees as he made his way to the designated meeting spot. Tommy hoped he wouldn’t be alone when he arrived. He’d left a note for Tubbo the day before on their bench asking to meet up. He didn’t want to think about what it meant if Tubbo either hadn’t gotten it or ignored it.

It was nearly sunset as Tommy approached his bench again. Luckily it was already occupied by the person he’d been wanting to see the most ever since the disastrous election. Tubbo saw him out of the corner of his eye and smiled at him. Tommy sprinted the rest of the way and gave him a quick but tight hug, ignoring the alarm bells ringing in his head. Tubbo was working for Schlatt. Tubbo was meant to kill him. 

Tommy broke the hug off and scoffed, “God you’re so fuckin clingy, big T.” As hard as he tried, he couldn’t completely wipe the grin off his face.

Tubbo laughed and sat back down on the bench, looking at the sunset. “Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say.” He swung his feet back and forth as Tommy took his seat next to him. It felt almost normal, which was a rare feeling these days. They both just wanted to pretend for a little while that they were back to the days before the election, before the L’manburg war, before everything. It was just the two of them together like they always should’ve been.

They wanted to pretend, and so they did. The duo talked about everything and nothing. They ignored the real reason the meeting was called. They didn’t bring up Manburg or Pogtopia or really anything to do with the pressing situation. Tubbo talked about his bees and his house and a funny joke Jack Manifold told him the other day. Tommy listened and laughed and of course made fun of how Tubbo could get excited about pretty much anything.

A few people trickled by, but if any of them saw the pair, they averted their eyes and made note to keep Schlatt and Dream away from the area. They were kids after all. They deserved a bit of time to be just that.

However, all good things must come to an end. Night fell and Tommy sighed. “Hey Tubbo?” Tommy tried to keep a brave face, but his nerves pushed through the facade. 

“It’s time, isn’t it?” Tubbo sighed as well. His shoulders sagged under the pressure that suddenly pervaded the area. “Your note said you had to talk to me about Wilbur’s plan. Does that mean you guys are gonna sneak me out of here?” There was a hopeful lilt at the end of the question. Tommy was both relieved and hurt to hear it.

It meant that Tubbo didn’t really want to stay or work for Schlatt, but on the other hand that was exactly what he was about to ask him to do. “About that… you’ll be on Pogtopia’s side-”

“Pogtopia?”

“Shut the fuck up, Tubbo.” Tubbo laughed. He really had missed this.

“So you’ll be on Pogtopia’s side, but you’ll kinda have to stay in L’manburg,” Tommy continued. When he’d first heard of Wilbur’s idea, he was excited. If Tubbo agreed to it, they’d get to see each other again, and Tubbo would have a cool job. Tommy could give him a bunch of secret missions to pass the time!

Now, though, after seeing the disappointment on his best friend’s face at the idea that he would have to stay at Schlatt’s side, he realized just what being a spy meant. It meant that he’d be in danger of getting caught by the enemy at all times, even more so than either Wilbur or Tommy. It meant lying to everyone around him, even people he might’ve cared about at one point or another.

The question nearly caught in his throat. “Will you be our spy on the inside?” Tommy infused as much of his usual Innit brand of confidence into his voice as possible. As much as he didn’t like asking, this was Wilbur’s plan, and Wil was almost always right about these sorts of things.

Tubbo looked down at his hands in his lap. Tommy could almost physically see the gears turning in his head as he weighed his options. After a minute or two of deliberation, he squared his shoulders with determination lining his face. He nodded swiftly and smirked. “Schlatt won’t know what hit him.”

It was then that Tommy remembered Tubbo’s greatest strength. He was far too often underestimated. For as chaotic and brash as Tommy was, Tubbo was always there by his side more often than not finding ways to make their schemes more effective. Everyone always assumed that Tubbo was merely a sidekick, and Schlatt was no different. That would be his downfall.

They both got up from their bench and nodded at each other before heading their separate ways. Neither said goodbye. Goodbyes made everything seem final, and they knew that this was only the beginning.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Techno lifted his arm up to wipe the sweat from his brow. His mask had long been discarded to the side as he finished the final touches on his potato farm. It was nearly as impressive as the one he’d just left, but with a bit of redstone he found at least this one was self-harvesting. All he had left to do was to just make sure it worked correctly and “report back to Tommy.” Neither Tommy nor Techno really cared about the hierarchy of it, but if it put Wilbur even a little at ease then they’d go along with it. 

However, based on the choppy, fast paced whistling echoing through the ravine, Techno couldn’t say for certain that the tension had dropped. Techno dropped his tools and stuck his head through the doorway of the underground farm. Sure enough, Wil was strolling down the stairs. As he got closer, Techno saw how his eyes seemed the slightest bit unfocused and the tell-tale dark spots on his lips from where he’d been biting them. If stress was a person, its name would be Wilbur Soot. 

Techno took a breath and walked through the small opening. Even when he’d been little, he hated conversation. Actions always spoke louder than words in his opinion, so he didn’t understand why saying the right things was so important. Luckily he had a twin by his side that could weave his words with ease. Wil did the talking for him, and when they were alone, reassuring pats on the back or the squeeze of their hands were their language of choice.

Now that the twins were reunited, none of that was anywhere to be seen. Trying to talk to Wilbur had become like drowning in an ocean. Wil had the means to pull him to shore, but he only seemed to watch Techno sink further. He was on his own to either sink or swim, and he knew what to choose.

“Wilbur.” The other’s eyes focused on Techno and lost whatever haziness has been there previously. He could only hope this was a good sign. “I, uh. I finished the farm. Made pretty good time on it.” Techno tried not to let the tension in his body show. Conversation was a battle, and the first thing he did was trip.

Wilbur nodded his head to signal him to lead the way. Techno thought that maybe he’d see a bit of pride show on the usually expressive man’s face, but it was blank. That was one of the strangest things he’d noticed. Wilbur exuded a sort of pride and determination that fueled his own brand of charisma. It was the sort of mannerism that they both shared, something to tell others that they were in fact twins. But now that pride was seemingly gone. 

They both entered the farm area once again. Techno stood back as Wilbur took the time to scan over and judge the work done. He hummed, “Well done, I suppose.” Wilbur looked back at Techno. “Tommy must’ve helped more than I expected. I didn’t actually think you two would be able to get this much done in such a short amount of time.”

Techno coughed, “Tommy didn’t really do much. He’s been off mining cobble for… well that part’s not important.” He pretended not to notice how Wil’s eyes narrowed in suspicion at that last statement.

Fortunately, it seemed Wilbur was willing to let it go for the moment in favor of a different line of questioning. “Wait, if he hasn’t been helping- how long have you been working on this?” There was a hint of surprise in his voice, like he already knew the answer but didn’t really think it to be true.

“Only about 16 hours, give or take,” Techno said bluntly. 

Wilbur blinked at him. “Tech- Technoblade. You got here yesterday.” A small smirk pulled at his lips. “You didn’t sleep at all last night, did you?”

Techno couldn’t help the minute smile that found its way onto his face as well. “Me? Of course not. My sleep schedule is in peak condition.”

“Tell that to the bags under your eyes.”

“Only if you tell yours the same.”

The two both fell into muted laughter, but the echoing in the ravine made it sound just as boisterous as it had been years before. Techno wanted to just stay in this moment. It had been far too long since he’d been able to simply enjoy any of his family’s presence, and here Wilbur was, back to acting like the brother he’d grown up with.

Techno wanted to savor the moment, but too soon it turned sour. Wilbur cut off his laughter abruptly, dawning realization slowly filling his eyes. “I can’t do this.” Wil’s voice sounded clipped and like he was trying to convince himself of something. 

He tried to leave, but Techno followed him out. “Did I just miss something?” Techno was starting to get an idea of what happened. He only wished that for once, he was wrong.

“Stop. I don’t… just get back to work. The farm looks operational. Go operate it.” Wilbur stated without looking back at him. 

“You’re hearing it again, aren’t you?” That got him to turn around. “That’s what suddenly got your attention back there.” It wasn’t a question. Pogtopia was a land of silence. It was a place of water droplets and creaking walkways and the sound of steel against stone, and yet it was quiet with a man trapped inside who couldn’t stand to be mute. It made sense that Wilbur was filling it with sounds only he could hear.

Techno looked from the floor to his twin’s face only to find anger lining it. “I said stop. You have no idea what’s going on. How could you when you haven’t been around for the past 7 years?” Wilbur walked up to him and nearly spat in his face in rage. It was such a turn from the previous mood, Techno almost took a step back in surprise. He held his ground, though. Wilbur had always been able to bounce from one emotion to another so easily.

“You’re wrong anyways. We aren’t brothers. We aren’t family. So we shouldn’t act like it. You forfeited all of that when you walked out of mine and  _ my  _ little brother’s life. I let myself forget for a minute. I can promise it won’t happen again.” Wilbur glared at him.

Techno stared at him for a minute. What once was hearth in Wil’s eyes, welcoming and warming all who came near, was now a blazing wildfire, ready to burn and destroy anything that ventured too close. Techno was too close, but he didn’t dare turn back yet.

“Wil, I left  _ for _ you. For the both of us! I couldn’t stand seeing you in pain when it got too loud, and I was terrified that one day my voices would make me hurt you! I left to go get answers. I wanted to find a way to get rid of it all. So don’t stand there and pretend like I left for no good reason.” Techno could feel himself start to shout, but he couldn’t stop it. Damnit, he cared. There weren’t too many things he let close enough to care about, but Wilbur, his family, there wasn’t anything they could do to get him to stop caring. And that could be a very dangerous thing.

Shouts ripped from Wilbur’s throat, “Don’t you get it yet? I don’t give a shit about why you left! You left when I needed you most, and of course Phil had to go and follow you! For 7 years I had to take care of Tommy and then Tubbo on my own. I had to live with this fucking curse. On. My. Own. At least it was fucking bearable when you were there with me. Once you were gone, the music got so loud. I couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t think. I couldn’t move. Nothing.” Tears pricked at the corners of Wilbur’s eyes.

His voice dropped to a whisper. “You  _ left  _ me to that misery. And the worst part? I really believed you’d come back for me. I sat by the front door, everyday for a year, looking at the horizon for any sign of you. I genuinely believed that I was worth enough for you to at least visit. But after all this time, you came back just because Tommy asked.” He took a deep breath. “So fine. If you came to us under the premise of supporting the cause, then I will treat you like the soldier you joined as. I’ll only repeat myself once more. Get to work.”

Wilbur turned around and retreated back to his room with the finality of a last nail in a coffin. Techno was left to stare after him. He’d forever deny the tears that ran down his face and landed upon the rough stone beneath his feet.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The second Wilbur knew he was out of view of Techno he collapsed against the wall of his room. The bastard just  _ had _ to bring up his curse. He hissed through gritted teeth as he brought his hands up to his ears. Wil knew it wouldn’t-  _ couldn't- _ shut anything out, though. It was coming from inside his own head.

That was the difference between the twins. Everyone knew about the voices Technoblade possessed. He’d even gone as far as to name it, humanize his curse, almost  _ owning _ it. He made no attempt to hide it. Wilbur, on the other hand, worked hard to keep his own a secret. People simply assumed he was the “normal” twin of the two. 

The truth was… he heard things too. He heard the haunting music constantly, the main source of many of his sleepless nights. Not that he’d ever admit it. Repeating melodies that would go on and on forever, driving him off the deep end if he let them. He’d long since learned how to push it to the back of his mind and take control of his thoughts, much like Techno had. Although they had to learn how on their own. It was a lesson learned only after Techno left on his expedition. 

However, with all the stress of recent events it had gotten much harder to keep the distracting tunes at bay. Just the  _ mention _ of them a minute ago riled them up so much that Wilbur had a hard time keeping up with the words flying out of his own mouth in a cruel rhythm. He meant everything he said. Every single word. It was just that the music had flooded in, cascaded through his mind, and washed away any filter he might have had. 

He hated Techno. A three word lyric to weave through the ongoing notes. He hated his twin. At least his voices were  _ helpful _ sometimes. He could reason with them. Wilbur had no choice but to let the music smother him, to shatter him. If Wil was breaking, it wasn’t fair that Techno refused to crack.

Which brought him to where he was now. Merely a pathetic excuse for a leader falling against a wall and unraveling under the maddening crescendo of an unfinished symphony. The history books might later state how the exiled president went mad in the dark shadows of this ravine, but Wilbur knew better. His insanity started far, far earlier. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!! Sorry it took such a long time, but I had so much classwork to do. Hopefully the longer than normal chapter makes up for it haha. Anyway, I hope y’all enjoyed it. Our boys have a long way to go before anything can start to get better, but there’s a certain beauty in the fall. If you have the time, I’d love to know what you think! Reading your comments absolutely makes my day!  
> A huge thank you to my beta reader Glitchy! I couldn't do any of this without them. They've been so patient throughout this whole process, and I truly can't thank them enough.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so so much for reading. Thank you to my friend, Glitchy, for beta reading this! I am going to work really hard on getting chapter 2 out to you all soon. In the meantime, please consider leaving a comment or a kudos. Your feedback means the absolute world to me, whether it is something you liked or something you disliked. Thanks again!


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